Rotating drum for self-winding and conventional wrist watches



W. S. NELSON Nov. 18, 1958 ROTATING DRUM FOR SELF WINDING AND CONVENTIONAL WRIST WATCHES Filed April 5, 1956 12 IN VEN TOR.

ATTD RN EYE ROTATING'DRUM FOR"'SELF--WINDIN G CONVENTIONAL WRIST WATCHES Werner 5.: Nelson; :Tampa, tFla..-

Airpli'afidn April 5, 1956, Serial Nor5763163 4 Claims; (mast-34.5)

This?rinventionurelateszstoirtoolsieand accessories iused: by watchmakersp and in' eparticular: a rrlrumrhavingravplw rality elf-transparent plastiwcovered .pockets inrtheperiph ery iwhe'rei'n;-.with.cwatchcs*randzparticularly automatic :or

self-windingzwatches mositioned inihepockets,:-.the drum.

is rotated at; slow speed twhereby watches :assume various positions? such aszqgositions' inmvhichrwatches' are carried. by customers; whereby windingxofa .the .watches :isizaccom-t plished :and regulation: :of' the iwatch es ris' facilitated. 1.

Thecpurpose ofi thiscinventionzis etooprovidea carrier:

with which: watches amay, bee carriedsthroughs difierenti positions: rforiautornatic twi ndifigi after beingqcleaned .101

repaired by' a wvatchinaker :so that; before delivering the watch to a customer, the watchrmayvbe efliciently;regu-: lated.

After repaiririga watch' the watch is assembled and suspended froma hook on a-board--so='that it may be observedibyathe .watchmakertocheckathe time." Checking hthektimeawithuthe. watch-.suspende.d-: on a hook* is :not the same asezcarrying..a..watch on .arwristi tor insamocket and-Lforithisnreasonitnis.often. necessary to returnethe watch to the watchmaker after several days for adjustment. Furthermore with watches suspended on stationary hooks automatic winding is not accomplished. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a rotating drum adapted to be rotatably mounted on a panel positioned on a wall or watch board whereby watches positioned in pockets of the drum are carried around a center and continuously move from one position to another thereby simulating the use thereof by the owner.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for continuously turning a watch to different positions of use with the watch suspended from a board in the shop of a watchmaker to accomplish winding and facilitate regulating the watch.

Another object of the invention is to provide a regulating and winding device that is particularly adapted for wrist watches of the automatic and self winding type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a continuously rotating drum having watch holding pockets therein in which the device is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a board or panel adapted to be suspended on a wall with a bearing sleeve extended from the intermediate part and with a motor mounting bracket positioned adjacent the bearing, and a drum having a plurality of pockets in the periphery with a plastic disc having a window with a cover therefore adapted to be positioned against the outer surface of the drum and with a motor mounted in the bracket and operatively connected to the drum for rotating the drum.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the improved r z,ss0,534

watchcarrying drum withparts broken away showing the positions of pockets therein- Figure'2 .is a vertical section through the'drumv takenon line 2.2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the drum taken on line 3-3 of Fig.2 with tabs at the upper andilower parts broken away,

Figure 4 is anexploded view somewhat similar. .to .that

shown in Fig.'2 showing. the drum and plastic .disc with othertparts omitted.

Referring; now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved rotatable watch winding and regulating device of this; invention includes a disc 10,-an'inner cylindrical band 11 extended from one side of the disc an outer cylindricalband 12.

extendedcfrom the .periphery of the discand extended fromathe .same side that the inner cylindrical band ex tends,:,the outer cylindrical band being concentric withv the inner cylindrical band anrannular ring 13 connecting extended edges of the inner and outer cylindrical bands, a-panel 14' having. a bearing sleeve 15 extended therefrom,a:shaft 16'rotatably-mounted in the sleeve 15 and havingagear 17 which is connected to the disc 10 withfasteners vl8 mountedthereomaan outer plastic or trans--.

parent disc 19 havinga cover 20' positioned to provide. a.

closure'ifor an. opcning21 as shown in dotted lines. in

Fig. 1, in the disc 19, and a motor 22 having a pinion 23 011.1116 :motor shaft 24 mounted-by-a bracket 25 on the panel: .14 and=adapted to be-controlled bya manually actuated switch 26.

The=bracket 25, vwhichis provided with vertically dis-.

posed side-walls 27'and28 and an outer-wall 2? is secured totthezpanelv '14 with bolts (ill-and the motor 22 is secured to the outer wall 29 with'bolts-or other fasteners, as in: dicated :by the. numeral: 31-.

The upper end of the panel 14 is provided with a tab 32 having an opening 33 therein and the tab is secured to the panel 14 with a rivet or other fastener, as indicated by the numeral 34-. The lower end of the panel is provided with an extension 35 upon which the switch 26 is secured by fasteners 36.

The bearing sleeve 15 is fixedly mounted in the panel 14 and also in the base 37 of the bracket 25 and the inner end of the shaft 16 is retained in the bearing sleeve with a cotterpin 38. The shaft 16 is provided with a threaded outer end 39 on which a nut 40 and a washer 41 are positioned and the washer is positioned against the outer surface of a spider 42 that bears against the outer surface of the disc 19, that provides a cover for pockets 43 between the bands 11 and 12 and the disc and inner ring 13.

The disc 19, which is formed of plastic, or other suitable transparent material is positioned with the opening or window 21 adapted to register with one of the pockets and, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the cover 20 of the opening 21 is pivotally mounted by a pin 44 on the outer surface of the disc and the lower part of the cover is provided with a knob or handle 45. By this means the cover is adapted to be turned to one side, as indicated by the arrows 46 wherein with the opening 21 in registering relation with one of the pockets 43 a watch may be inserted in the pocket or removed therefrom as may be desired.

The pockets 43 are separated by radially disposed partitions 47, as shown in Fig. 3, and the watches are retained on foam rubber pads 50 in the pockets or held by suitable means.

The motor 22 is connected to the switch 26 with wires 48 and the switch is connected to a suitable source of electric current with an electric cord 49.

With the parts designed and assembled as illustrated Patented .Nov. 1 8,. 1958 and described watches may be placed in the pockets and upon rotation of the drum with the watches retained in position therein, the watches are carried around through different movements and positions, simulating the use of a watch on a wrist or in apocket and with the watches running under these conditions automatic winding is accomplished and it is possible to accurately regulate or adjust the movement whereby the watches maintain accurate time.

It will be appreciated that-the watches may be retained in position in the pockets by the foam rubber pads or other suitable means and as many pockets may be .provided in the rings as may be desired. It will also be understood that as many rings as may be desired may be provided in one drum. By this means the device may be designed to accommodate a comparatively large quantity of watches.

The drum and particularly the bands 11 and 12 and disc 19 are made of transparent plastic material.

It will be understood that other modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A rotatable watch carrying drum comprising a panel, a sleeve mounted in the panel and extended inwardly therefrom, a shaft rotatably mounted in the sleeve, a disc having radially disposed pockets extended from one side and positioned on the outer portion, the disc being carried by said shaft, and a transparent cover for said disc.

2. A rotatable watch carrying drum comprising a panel, a sleeve mounted in the panel and extended inwardly therefrom, a shaft rotatably mounted in the sleeve, a disc having radially disposed pockets extended from one side and positioned on the outer portion, the disc being carried by said shaft, a transparent cover for said disc, and means for rotating the disc.

3. A watch winder and regulator comprising a panel having an opening at the upper end for suspending the panel from a pin, a bearing sleeve mounted on and extended from the panel, a shaft rotatably mounted in the bearing sleeve of the panel, a disc having a plurality of radially disposed pockets extended therefrom mounted on the shaft, the pockets being positioned in planes parallel to the shaft, a transparent disc also mounted on the shaft and positioned to provide a cover for the pockets of the former disc, said transparent disc having an opening therein positioned to register with any one of the pockets of the former disc, a cover pivotally mounted on the transparent disc and-positioned-to seal the opening therethrough, and means for rotating the shaft with said disc thereon.

4. In a watch winder and regulator, the combination which comprises a panel adapted to be positioned upon a wall, a bearing sleeve extended from the panel, a shaft rotatably mounted in the bearing sleeve, a disc having radially disposed spaced openings extended therethrough mounted on the shaft, watch receiving pockets carried by the disc and positioned to register with the openings therethrough, a disc of transparent material also mounted on the shaft and having an opening therethrough, the opening of the latter disc being positioned to register with any one of the pockets of the former disc, 21 cover pivotally mounted on the latterdisc and positioned to provide a cover for the opening therethrough, a bracket mounted on the panel, amotorhaving a pinion on a shaft thereof mounted in said bracket, and a gear mounted on the shaft rotatablymounted in the bearing sleeve of the panel and positioned to mesh with the pinion of the motor shaft for rotating theshaft and disc.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,653,323 Taylor Dec. 20, 1927 2,306,938 Ebhertv Dec. 29, 1942 2,474,639 Shprentz June 28, 1949 2,549,083 Hamilton ...Apr. 17, 1951 v 

